Crownfield Junior School

School report Crownfield Junior School White Hart Lane, Collier Row, Romford, Essex, RM7 8JB

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Pupils’ achievement is good. In 2013, a significantly higher than average proportion of pupils made good progress in mathematics.  The quality of teaching is good and some is exemplary. The school has introduced robust systems for checking the quality of teaching and provides clear guidance to teachers to help them improve their practice.  The behaviour of pupils is good and pupils are safe in school. Pupils of differing backgrounds play and learn well together because the school does not tolerate any discrimination.  The positive school atmosphere is the result of the headteacher’s vision for the school and his strong focus promoting the school’s values. All staff and the very large majority of parents agree that the school is well led and managed.  Since their appointment, senior leaders have successfully created an enthusiastic team of middle leaders. Their skills have developed

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

quickly as a result of targeted training programmes. They are already helping to bring about improvements in teaching and learning.  Governors are effective in both supporting and challenging leaders about the work of the school.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Leaders and teachers do not yet systematically plan opportunities to share best practice about excellent teaching.  On occasions, some teachers do not always challenge pupils to achieve higher levels in their tasks or give timely support if they are struggling. This is especially the case for those pupils of average ability.  Pupils are sometimes not given enough time and support to act upon the comments adults make about their work.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection team observed learning across the school. They visited lessons or part lessons in most of the 12 classes. Three were observed jointly with the headteacher. The team scrutinised pupils’ work in books, in particular those of Year 6 pupils, alongside the headteacher. Inspectors also discussed the school’s evaluation of the quality of teaching.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, senior and middle leaders, to discuss the progress that groups of pupils make throughout the school. They analysed the school’s information on attainment and progress. An inspector also met with a group of five governors.  The team examined records of the local authority’s involvement with the school and met with a local authority representative.  Inspectors considered parents’ views of the school through informal discussions during the inspection. They reviewed the school’s own recent parental survey and also considered 85

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Information about this inspection

responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View). Inspectors took into account the views of 37 staff who completed the staff questionnaire and also talked to staff during the inspection.  Inspectors listened to pupils in Year 3 and Year 6 read. Inspectors chatted to pupils informally throughout the inspection. They observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at various times around the school, including lunchtime.  Inspectors looked at documentation such as policies, including those relating to safeguarding, behaviour and the school’s development planning.

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Inspection team

Jacqueline Marshall, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Cole Andrew Additional Inspector Fatiha Maitland Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average-sized junior school. Crownfield Infant School is situated adjacent to the junior school.  Approximately one third of the pupils are from minority ethnic groups, the largest groups being of African heritage. This is higher than the national average. At one fifth of the school population, the proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is also higher than usual. Many pupils are bilingual, although a few join at the early stages of learning English.  The proportion of pupils supported through the pupil premium funding is higher than similar schools. This is additional government funding to support those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals or are in care.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is higher than usual. The proportion supported by school action plus or

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Information about this school

with a statement of special educational needs is also above average.  The school meets the government’s current floor targets, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  In the last 18 months the headteacher, deputy headteacher and new middle leadership team have all taken up their posts.  During the inspection, pupils in Year 6 were sitting their end of Key Stage 2 national tests.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching in order to raise achievement by ensuring that:  teachers act more quickly to either stretch pupils with harder work or give help when pupils struggle to understand, especially those of average ability  guidance provided by teachers in pupils’ work consistently reflects the best quality seen elsewhere in the school and is followed up promptly  leaders make every effort to provide chances for staff to observe and learn from examples of excellent practice, whether in school or elsewhere.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ achievement over time is good. From Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 2, all groups of pupils, regardless of their ability, make good progress. Rates of progress in mathematics are significantly higher than that seen nationally.  Progress across year groups and ability groups is typically good in both English and mathematics. However, some pupils do not always receive as much challenge or support in order to achieve the levels of which they are capable.  In 2013, attainment at the end of Year 6 was broadly in line with those levels found in most schools in reading, writing and mathematics. This represents good progress for pupils from low starting points who took the national tests that year. A small proportion of the most able pupils reached levels that are typically found in secondary schools in mathematics, reading and English grammar, punctuation and spelling. Typically, the most able make greater progress than other

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The achievement of pupils is good

pupils.  Pupils make good progress in mathematics because teachers have good subject knowledge which helps pupils to learn new concepts quickly. Pupils have a good grasp of skills in calculating numbers and solving mental arithmetic problems, and select a range of methods to solve problems confidently.  Pupils’ skills in reading and writing are developed well. Pupils are enthusiastic about reading. They enjoy a wide range of children’s literature and use different strategies to read unfamiliar words. Their writing books show that they write frequently in different styles, although they do not regularly have the chance to write at length. Leaders are working together to make sure pupils continue to develop a good handwriting style through the infant and junior schools.  The gaps in attainment in 2013 between those Year 6 pupils supported by additional funding and other pupils were approximately two terms in reading, writing and mathematics. However,

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The achievement of pupils is good

pupils in this group are progressing more rapidly than their peers in school and nationally overall. They made particularly good progress in mathematics. Consequently, despite some minor variations in different year groups, gaps between pupils supported through additional funding and other pupils are beginning to narrow.  Leaders and governors take care to ensure all pupils, regardless of their backgrounds, have an equal opportunity to do as well as they can. Disabled pupils, those with special educational needs, the most able and those who speak English as an additional language make similar progress to their peers. Staff know these pupils well and design activities and set work at the right levels.  The primary sports funding is used well to improve the breadth of opportunities available for pupils. Pupils who show aptitude at sports are challenged to improve further. Those who are less keen are encouraged to learn enjoyable ways to keep healthy and increase their participation.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is typically good because all groups of pupils achieve well. Leaders provide precise feedback to staff on how to improve their teaching in order to raise the quality of teaching further. Opportunities for staff to improve their practice by working alongside excellent teachers are developing.  Leaders have focused on improving how teachers assess pupils’ learning and their use of pupil progress information. This means teachers’ expectations of pupils’ levels and what pupils can do are realistic, but challenging.  Pupils’ progress is most rapid when teachers use questioning effectively to determine pupils’ understanding and promptly adapt activities where necessary. Those, especially in the average ability groups, are sometimes given similar work to complete, but are not moved swiftly on to harder work if they demonstrate they understand or given support when they find it hard.  Those pupils who have additional learning needs achieve well because of targeted additional

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The quality of teaching is good

support from the special educational needs leader and senior leadership team, usually outside of their main classroom. In normal lessons, while they make similar progress to their peers, not all staff are as skilled as the best practitioners in moving on these pupils’ learning.  All teachers advise pupils on how to improve their work, but the quality of advice is variable. There are some examples of very good practice in which teachers’ written comments provide guidance on how pupils can improve their work.  Pupils are expected to act upon the comments teachers’ make. However, while most say they are given time to do this, it varies from class to class. Similarly, not all teachers are as rigorous as others in checking when they have asked pupils to make improvements. As a result, some pupils do not always correct their mistakes or check they are not repeating errors.  Staff work well together. They develop good relationships with pupils that help to foster their

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The quality of teaching is good

positive attitudes to learning. Pupils are generally keen to do well, especially when their learning is made interesting.  The overwhelming majority of parents think their children are taught well; inspectors agree with this view.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils, parents and staff say pupils typically behave well throughout the day. This matches the school’s records. Pupils look after the school, keeping it neat and tidy, and take pride in their appearance.  This good standard of behaviour is in response to high expectations that all are treated with respect and courtesy. It makes a positive contribution to the happy atmosphere in the school.  Pupils respond quickly to teachers’ requests to answer questions or re-focus their attention. They are keen to do well, often completing a good deal of work in the time available. They enjoy discussions, listening carefully to different ideas. However, pupils across the school agree that, occasionally, when the work is too hard or too easy, some pupils lose interest, becoming fidgety and chatty in lessons.  The school ensures that there is no discrimination. Pupils from all backgrounds and abilities are

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

proud of their contribution to the school. Older pupils are keen to become prefects and take on additional responsibilities such as answering the telephone during lunchtimes. The school council is a thriving group. The council regularly responds to suggestions from pupils of all ages on how they would like to improve the school.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils say they feel safe in school. They know how to keep safe on the internet, what to do if anyone is unkind to them and that there are different kinds of bullying. Although they think bullying is ‘really unusual’ in their school, they are clear what to do should any incidents occur.  Attendance is above average. Effective systems for tracking late arrivals are improving attendance at the start of the day successfully. Staff work closely with families and other agencies, effectively stressing the important links between attending school and achievement.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher has quickly established a culture of teamwork and a drive for all to work together, which is improving the school. All staff are overwhelmingly positive about the school and very supportive of the changes he has introduced. Leaders have a common aim to raise standards and are determined to ensure all pupils do as well as they can.  Middle leaders are increasingly involved in the regular checks on the quality of teaching. They are more and more focusing on pupils’ progress, the quality of work in books as well as the quality of teaching and learning during lessons. Staff are given clear guidance on how to improve and this is checked upon by leaders observing teaching.  Leaders provide training for staff linked to the school’s priorities as well as to individual staff needs. However, opportunities to share good practice are not yet planned regularly or systematically enough to make sure the quality of support pupils receive always matches that of

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The leadership and management are good

the best in the school.  Pupils take part in a wide range of subjects and enjoy the variety of extra activities the school provides. Opportunities to learn about major faiths and raise funds for those less fortunate add much to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  The local authority knows the school well and provides good support. Examples of its positive impact can be seen in its effective support for the new leadership team and the developing role in school improvement of middle leaders.  Leaders are focused on strengthening links with Crownfield Infant School. A programme of visits between staff is developing a better understanding of each other’s work. Consequently, joint ventures, such as the consistent approach to handwriting, are making the transition between the two schools smoother and more effective.  The governance of the school:  Governors’ training has greatly improved their effectiveness in supporting the work of the

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The leadership and management are good

school. Many bring expertise that they use effectively to benefit pupils’ learning, and ask testing questions to hold senior leaders to account. They know about the quality of teaching and what is being done to raise the quality of teaching further.  The governing body oversees the school’s systems for setting targets for teachers’ performance and ensures that staff pay is linked to pupils’ progress. Governors work closely with leaders, challenging them to raise achievement. They use information on pupils’ progress increasingly confidently to check that pupils are achieving well in school and in comparison to others nationally. Governors are fully involved in the allocation of additional funds. They regularly check the impact these have on the achievements of the pupils. Governors ensure that arrangements for safeguarding pupils have high priority. They check regularly that the policies and procedures that keep pupils safe are implemented consistently.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 102294 Local authority Havering Inspection number 439496

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Junior School category Maintained Age range of pupils 7−11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 351 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Tony Sargeant Headteacher Mark Patient Date of previous school inspection 7 July 2009 Telephone number 01708 747070 Fax number 01708 737811 Email address reception@crownfieldjunior.co.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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School details

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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